Another Tuck
by AuthorSwimmerPoet
Summary: This is what would have happened if Winnie had chosen to drink from the spring and live forever with her love Jesse Tuck. *Note I do not own any of the characters.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Another Tuck?**

_When you're older._ He had said. _When you're older._ The words echoed in her mind, the rhythm almost a taunt.

Well she was certainly older now. She was the same age as him, at least in the technical terms of it. She was seventeen, just like him. They could be seventeen together forever. Forever…

Winnie dipped her hand in and out of the water. How could she know though? She didn't have any proof he would come back. She had been ten. Ten year olds imagine a lot of things. Jesse could have been her imagination; she had been quite lonely as a child, an only child whose parents overprotected her. Jesse might not even be real. The spring could just be a plain old stream in a wood.

That didn't seem right though, even as a ten year old she hadn't been a vivid imaginer. She hadn't been like the children in books who were lonely and imagined themselves a friend. Why would she have imagined Jesse?

She could still remember seeing him sitting there by the spring his toes busy with a twig while he stared up at the shimmering canopy, something that vivid couldn't be fake could it?

Winnie was almost tempted to drink the water just to see if it would keep her alive and seventeen forever, but if he never came back what would she do? Seventeen forever. Alone forever. That could hardly be called a life. And if the stream did nothing she would only be disappointed and Jesse would be ruined forever. He really would become someone she had imagined.

Jesse would understand if she didn't drink wouldn't he? She had only been _ten._ How could he possibly know he wanted her forever if she had been _ten?_

Jesse would understand. Wouldn't he?

Winnie bit her lip. Which should she choose? Which decision made sense; which decision wasn't created of fantasies and dreams? Well that was obvious. But what if he came? What if he came and she hadn't waited? He would go on and remember her. Remember her forever. Forever. Forever or never…Which was better to be remembered for forever or to put aside a silly dream of a boy that probably wasn't real and move on?

Maybe she should just drink from the stream, then if it worked it worked and if it didn't…she would know that the Tucks never had been real and never would be.

Maybe…

Still considering the possibilities Winnie stood and headed for home, but almost unconsciously she began to hum a tune with no words. A tune she had first learned when she was ten.


	2. Chapter 1

**1**

Jesse scampered through the forest warily. His parents didn't know. They didn't know that he had come back. It had been ten years. That was plenty of time really. Winnie would be his, if she ever would be, by now. She would be twenty. Plenty of time for her to have decided. He couldn't let his parents know he had come.

Jesse paused at the edge of the forest, the cottage was there. As it had been for so long. The gates looked cold, frozen, unwelcoming. Jesse stared at the cottage and waited for darkness to fall.

The sun went down and he leapt the gate breezily. He crept to the house looking at the colorful windows. He peered inside, hoping for a glance. Just a glance of Winnie would keep him satisfied. For another ten years at least and possibly forever. If she really was happy without him he didn't think he could come back. He'd just be a phantom haunting her forever. Forever it was such a painful concept if she wasn't at his side.

He didn't know what he would do once she was gone. Didn't know how he could live. That was the hardest part, he would live there was nothing he could do. Nothing. She would die and he would live. He would always live, even if his heart and soul died with her. He was beginning to see why Tuck would have wanted to warn her off staying with them, of becoming one of them. Forever was such a long time to be without someone you loved.

Jesse looked all through the house. Winnie didn't seem to be anywhere within. Her parents were there, looking almost sad, but as stern as ever. They seemed to only be able to whisper to themselves. Jesse was confused, had Winnie already gone to bed?

He decided to find a way to get up and look through the upper windows, perhaps she was in bed. He shuddered as his mind conjured another meaning for that simple phrase. She could already be in a forever bed, buried beneath the ground. People did tend to catch infections and things the doctors didn't understand. Maybe that was why her parents had seemed sad.

Carefully he climbed the side of the house. Edging about he managed to see all the upper windows, still no Winnie.

Jesse jumped back down. Where was Winnie? Then a sinking realization filled him. She hadn't waited. She had moved on. She had chosen someone else. She had wanted someone to hold her and he hadn't come in time. He should have come when she was seventeen, reminded her of him.

It stabbed at Jesse to realize this. It was better this way, knowledge of them could pass with her but…he didn't want her pass on. He wanted her forever.

Jesse leaned against the house and began to weep, he had never really been the kind of boy to cry, but all the exuberance in him seemed to have been washed out with this frightening realization. Tears filled and overflowed his eyes so quickly he couldn't see for a few minutes.

"Boy," A voice growled.

Jesse leapt in surprise, clearing his eyes quickly.

"Boy," The voice repeated in scorn, the figure was in shadow but Jesse guessed it was Winnie's father. He was certainly unfeeling enough. "Get out." His voice threatened.

Jesse leapt up and raced for the gate. He couldn't believe he had actually let himself get caught. Safe on the other side of the fence, Jesse built the nerve to call out, "Where's Winnie? Where's your daughter?"

"Safe from scoundrels like you." He sneered. "Safe tucked away in the village with her husband."

Jesse's heart sank even further at this. She was married. There was no need for him to have returned. No need. No need at all. But even as despair filled him, Jesse knew he had to see Winnie again.

He disappeared into the night off to find Winnie. The Winnie who would always belong to another, but remain forever in his heart.


	3. Chapter 2

**2**

Jesse had finally found her house, he crept up to it. A single light was still on. It was in the front, so maybe she would be there, in that room, waiting up. Or maybe not.

Jesse crouched under the window breathing heavily. Did he really want to see if she was in there? Shouldn't just knowing she was married have been enough for him? She hadn't waited. It was obvious. Why was he still looking for trouble?

Still…Jesse took a deep breath and slowly peeked into the house. She was there reading with a child curled up on her lap, and a dog at her feet. She looked peaceful rocking back and forth. Peaceful and young. She looked so young, much younger than he would have suspected her to look. She didn't look twenty she could have barely passed for a year or two younger. She didn't look any older than he was. She looked like she was seventeen and it made his heart hurt to think that this beauty had been lost to him.

It hurt to see her, so peaceful, so happy, and with a child on her lap. A child that would never be his. Never. This was the proof that he had needed. She had clearly moved on if she had a child. She was just one of those lucky people who always looked younger than they were. That had to be the explanation; it was the only explanation. He admired her looks for a moment, she was more beautiful than he could have imagined. He had never expected the ten-year old to grow up so beautifully.

Slowly her eyes lifted from the book. Jesse grimaced and ducked under the windowsill, what had he been thinking? She had moved on, she was married now. He had probably frightened her made her think he was a prowler.

Jesse crept away from the window, then he fled into the night.

Winnie blinked in surprise. She was sure she had seen someone at the window, someone she remembered from as a child. Someone she had once thought she had imagined. She had wanted him to be true so badly, and now it appeared as if he might actually be, that everything he had said was true.

"So," She whispered at the place where his face had disappeared, "you came back Jesse Tuck. Was it to reclaim your Winnie Foster?" She stood up a moment later, cradling the child to her breast, preparing to go to bed.


	4. Chapter 3

**3**

"She's dead, they put up her tombstone. She hasn't been dead two years. We're sorry Jesse." Tuck explained gently placing a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "We knew though, a year after she was seventeen, she was married. To a Mr. Jackson. I knew she was smart enough not to drink. I knew she wasn't the kind to knowingly curse herself." Tuck froze suddenly realizing the pain his words must have caused. "Sorry son."

"I have to see for myself." Jesse said. He couldn't believe until he saw the tombstone. She had looked so young, sitting there. So young. He had to see it for himself that she was gone. Until then he could at least pretend she had waited.

"Jesse…" Mae began softly.

"Ma, this somethin' I gotta do." Jesse said fiercely and they knew he meant it because his speech had reverted back to what it had been when they first changed, they'd all adapted their language to the world around them but Jesse always relapsed when he was serious about something.

"Alrigh'."

Jesse stood in front of the home he had found Winnie in, he stared in the window, desperately wishing she was still there, rocking and reading. "Goodbye Winnie Foster." He whispered and headed towards the spring. Why had they chosen to bury her by that anyway? He didn't want to see the spring that had brought about so much pain and heartache.

He stepped in the small fenced off area swallowing; now he was here, he hardly wanted to do it, but he had to. His parents had told him where to find her stone; it was strange that it hadn't been placed in the cemetery by her husband's but in a way Jesse was glad. He had already seen that man's and he didn't want Winnie's body to have lie anywhere near his.

Jesse was picking his way through trees when he realized someone was already at her grave. They had a hood up and were simply staring down at the stone but he couldn't disturb them. He couldn't.

He waited starting slowly to shiver as the person just stood there. Finally he decided if they were being so still all he had to was stand slightly behind them, that way he wouldn't intrude and he could read the stone.

Jesse stood so close he was practically breathing down the girl's neck; at least he figured it was a girl because he could see a single strand of hair that waved almost exactly like Winnie's hanging from the hood and even now men, weren't likely to do feminine things with their hair.

He peered over her shoulder and there it was just like his parents had said.

_In Loving Memory_

_Winifred Foster Jackson_

_Dear Wife_

_Dear Mother_

_1870-1948_

"Winnie," He whispered softly, forgetting the girl standing in front of him, "Winnie Foster, why didn't you wait?"

The girl turned slowly and dropped her hood, "But Jesse, I did." She gestured rather helplessly at the tombstone, "I knew this would bring you back. I saw you once. I thought you wanted me, but you disappeared. I'd gone on with Winnie Jackson because I thought you didn't want me, but I knew I had to find out, and sixty years was quite long enough to wait Jesse Tuck."

"You were married, you had a kid. How?"

Winnie smiled gently, "I didn't chose the husband, my parent's did and the child was a foundling we raised. My husband caught a sickness just after I saw you again. He died a year later, have you seen the year the year on his stone?"

Jesse thought back to when he had angrily stared down at the stone, angry that the man had been lucky enough to have Winnie as his own, when he couldn't and sure enough Jesse could remember the year on the inscription. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but he was glad that he hadn't held Winnie very long. He didn't deserve Winnie, he hadn't had to wait for Winnie.

_A Memorial_

_Alexandre Jackson_

_Beloved Husband and Father_

_1865-1891_

"But Winnie Foster, you still had a kid."

Sadness overwhelmed Winnie's eyes, "I truly loved her. I named her after you. She was Jesse Tuck Jackson. She caught…smallpox. I lost her. I had had her for longer than my husband but in the end she too passed as everyone will except for…your family and…and me. So I waited for you to return for sixty years. I grew tired of waiting."

"The grave?" Jesse asked.

Winnie nodded. "I come back here every year to remind myself what I chose and to see if you had come." She threw her arms around Jesse's neck. "Why didn't you come back? I had to die for you to come back." Tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes, hurt was such a painful emotion to see written across her face.

"My parent's came and saw, they called you smart for not drinkin' they think you're dead. They said that and I had to see. I wanted to wait to be sure, no one remembered."

"No one but me? I wouldn't have forgot you Jesse. When I drank I almost thought you were something I'd made up. That's how I convinced myself to drink. I figured it wouldn't hurt me that way. Now here I am. Trapped at seventeen just like you, well maybe not quite like you, I might even be older, I waited to drink until the day before I turned eighteen and finally I couldn't take it anymore, so I drank. I'm glad I did because just after my parents decided I was to get married and I didn't want to be married to anyone but you."

Jesse almost whooped. "Winnie Foster, we can still do what I said. We could see the world together. We could get married."

"Just you and me forever." Winnie whispered happily, reaching out and letting him catch her in his arms.

"Exactly Winnie Foster, exactly."


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I don't know if it's much better but everyone was complaining about Mae's reaction in this chapter, so I tried to make it a bit more plausible. Maybe my adjustments helped, maybe they didn't. Read for yourself and see.**

**4**

"Jesse Tuck what have you done?" Mae sounded strangely terrified, as he entered the room, Winnie's hand in his. "Did you show some poor girl the spring, just so you could have a girl that looked like Winnie? I thought you knew better!"

"Ma, Ma," Jesse said laughing, holding up his hands defensively, one still clinging tightly to Winnie's he'd hardly let go of her since he'd found her by her false grave. "This is Winnie; you guys had got it wrong. She faked her death. She wanted me to come, but I had stayed and she got sick of it, so she faked her death." Jesse continued matter-of-factly, as if he had never expected anything but that sort of cleverness from Winnie.

Winnie rolled her eyes. Jesse was enjoying this a little too much.

Jesse turned away from Mae and kissed Winnie's hand lovingly. "When will we get married? Now Ma and Pa can come and we can find my brother somewhere I'm sure."

"This is Winnie!" Mae shrieked having clearly been stunned by shock for a few moments. "She drank?" Mae's face turned red, "Tuck warned you good, why didn't you heed him?"

"I was lonely and I missed all of you, not just Jesse but the whole Tuck family. I convinced myself it was a dream, so drinking from the spring wouldn't hurt me." Winnie whispered not even daring to meet Mae's eye. "I just wanted to see the Tucks again."

Mae snorted, "Wouldn't hurt you girl? You're trapped for eternity, just like us now. We've ceased to exist to the world, but we will never cease to exist. Don't you see what you've done?"

"I don't care about all that!" Winnie cried loudly, still focused on the ground. "I only care about being with Jessie. He's the one I want! He's the reason I'm here. If I hadn't known deep down, that he was real, you wouldn't see me here Mae. If I didn't love him, I wouldn't've drunk. But I do love him, and I do know that he is real and I always knew it really, it just took drinking, to cement the idea in my head. What's done is done. I'm…I'm a Tuck, in spirit if not by marriage or name yet, but I am a Tuck. And Mae," Winnie finally looked up, "this is my place, at Jesse's side, and nothing and no one will stop me from keeping it."

"Good job Winnie." Jesse murmured seeming a little awed by Winnie's sudden proclamation of her love to him. "You told her good, show her how much I mean to you. She can't stay angry long, if we prove we love each other."

"Just you wait til Tuck hears this, you won't be so happy then. He warned you off girl, and now he's going to throttle you for disobeyin' like this." Mae came closer a strange sympathy and sadness in her eyes as she put a hand to Winnie's cheek. "We only wanted the best for you girl. You had the choice. We tried to show you the best one. Missing us ain't no reason to be so rash. You should have considered the consequences, but then, young people never do."

"I think you're wrong Mae Tuck. Jesse and I can be happy together, we can be happy forever now, instead of that poor substitute normal people have, of growing old and dying, losing your love. Me and Jesse won't ever have to go through that. We will always be together." Winnie whispered fervently. "And nothing you can say would ever make me feel guilty about my choice." She gripped Jesse's hand tightly. "Let's go get married, then you can show me the world. We can swim in every ocean, see every sight, but best of all we'll be together for it."

Mae watched the young couple leave her eyes filled with disappointment for the choice Winnie had made.


	6. Chapter 5

5

**5**

"Do you think they'll be able to accept my decision now?" Winnie asked softly avoiding Jesse's gaze.

"Of course, Winnie _Tuck_. It's been thirty years. They've had plenty of time to get used to the idea." He was surprised that the fight from so long ago could still bother Winnie so much. It was the past now. The distant past as far as he was concerned. Winnie was his present and future and that was all that mattered.

Winnie leaned against Jesse's arm, filled with the same feelings of warmth and protection that had brought her to the decision of drinking. "I almost don't want to see them. It's been such a long time. I'd rather just spend forever with you."

Jesse grinned and quickly kissed the top of Winnie's head before returning his attention to the road; even if they couldn't die it wouldn't be a good idea to get in a car accident. People would get suspicious if they came out without a scratch, and even after all these years Jesse knew they had to keep the spring hidden. "Winnie whether or not my parents agree with what you've done, we will spend _forever_ together. I can promise you that much."

Winnie grinned. "It was cool to see all the romantic spots of the world. Maybe we should go back to Venice."

"Whatever you want Winnie, but first, we're going to see my parents. They have to have accepted the situation by now, and if they haven't we can spend another thirty years abroad until they come to their senses. It's not as if we don't have time for them to come to terms with your choice."

"You're right, I guess." Winnie answered a little sadly.

"Aw, come now Winifred," Jesse said mocking her classy educated tones that she hadn't lost in all the years they'd been together. "You know that it's always a good idea to be on good terms with the family, and besides I want to have them to talk to, even with you it can get lonely when no one's like you."

"I'd only ever do this for you." Winnie muttered grumpily.

"That's my girl." Jesse whispered proudly. His thoughts turned to the reunion and his heart pounded in excitement. He couldn't wait to see his family again, and being with Winnie was great but as he'd told her, it was lonely with only one other person that understood you for company. He was tired of all the aging people they'd surrounded themselves with. Eternal youth wasn't much fun when everyone else kept getting older. At least he didn't have to face the heartache of a world without Winnie anymore. Surviving that had been the hardest for him, it was impossible to live without your life but when you couldn't die it hurt even more than Jesse would have thought possible.

Distracted by the despondent turn in his thoughts Jesse wrapped an arm around Winnie just to remind himself that she was with him, that she had chosen him and all the rest had simply been a ruse.

Winnie sat up in excitement suddenly. "Jesse, are you listening to this song? It's hilarious, it suits us just perfectly, it's what I feel every night when I get to fall asleep once more in your arms."

"What is it?" Jesse asked curiously his hand going to the volume and turning it up.

"…because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you, over again, don't make me change my mind, or I won't live to see another day, I swear it's true…"

"How weird that is like us." Jesse said twirling the volume down again. "Do you think he has a forever?"

"You mean do I think he has a spring that made him and his girl live forever and that's why he's singing that to her?"

Jesse nodded. "Yeah somethin' like that."

"No, I think he only knows that he has her now, and doesn't lose, but I do know that there is one guy in this world that could sing about forever and really mean it. He could sing anthems to the joys of forever and people would believe him, because what he's singing is absolutely true."

"Ah," Jesse whispered. "You don' mean me do ya? My pa could probably sing better about that than I could. He's got a truer forever."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Winnie snapped angrily.

"That he had a real life to learn his love for ma and then he got to keep her forever on top of that."

"Are you saying our love isn't real?" Winnie asked softly hurt and possibly betrayal lacing her words.

"No," Jesse exclaimed frightened by the pain in her voice. "I mean that ours still has to grow, if it's ever going to be as strong as theirs. I want it as strong as theirs Winnie. Will you help me reach that level of love?"

Winnie eyed Jesse almost as if she were suspicious of his intentions. "Jesse Tuck you say the stupidest things sometimes, but Jesse didn't you ever think? Our love is strong in a different way. It will deepen continually with time, I don't doubt that, but Jesse ours is still fresh and young and because we were in love when we fell in love, it always feel young and new and that's something your parents don't have. Our love is already more special. Our love is already on a different level than anyone has ever experienced."

"I guess that's true." Jesse whispered. He had never considered their love in the Winnie was describing it. He'd never thought young love would be so beautiful. He didn't think it ever would be again.

"Now Jesse where's that CD? I want to listen to Forever Young again. It was our wedding song remember?"

"Of course I remember." Jesse murmured suddenly overcome with images of their wedding. It had been beautiful. They'd traveled and seen almost every inch of France before deciding they wanted to get married and they'd planned it on a beach in the south of France. It had been beautiful, and the only flaw had been that his family hadn't been there. Maybe Jesse could convince Winnie to marry him again with his family there, and that song she'd just discovered on the radio could be their new wedding song, because at the very moment it truly felt as if Jesse were falling in love with Winnie again.


	7. Chapter 6

**6**

"This is it." Jesse muttered under his breath, sounding suddenly as if he didn't want to be here anymore than Winnie did. She clutched at his arm not wanting to let go and worried about how the Tucks were going to react to her spending forever with Jesse now that they'd had thirty years to think about it.

"Let's just do this." Winnie said and reached for the doorbell. It would probably be better to make a polite impression on Jesse's parents instead of simply barging into the house.

"Jesse?" Mae Tuck's soft tones sounded behind them, it sounded as if she were strangely choked up. "Is that you? Come back after all these years…and too late I might add."

Jesse turned to face his mother for the first time in thirty years and he felt that familiar wash of fear that a child has when they have behaved wrongly towards a parent. "Ma? What do you mean to late?"

Mae began to sob suddenly and fell to her knees as if unable to stand for a moment longer.

"Ma are you alright?" Jesse asked his voice breaking with concern. He went to her side and knelt by her letting her cry on his shoulder while he looked desperately to Winnie for help.

Winnie shrugged uncertainly; she didn't understand this situation anymore than he did.

"Ma let's get you inside. You're makin' a scene. Where's Pa? Is Miles around?"

Mae only began to sob harder and wouldn't stand up. "No," she seemed to be muttering under her breath. "No, no, no."

"Winnie help me, we gotta get her inside. I really don' know what's going on, but I don' want Ma out here makin' a scene for everyone to see."

Winnie nodded mutely and helped Jesse to lift his mother and get her inside. She was surprised at how reluctant Mae was too move on her own, they practically had to force her legs to move. "What do you think's wrong?" Winnie asked softly, focused on her work.

Jesse grunted. "I don' know and I don' think we're going to get an answer anytime soon, unless Miles or Pa show up, Ma's always been one to cry and cry, she'll be almost inconsolable for hours prob'ly."

Winnie gritted her teeth in annoyance. She'd been hoping that everything would simply fall into place and she'd be accepted, it didn't look like that was going to be the case. "Well, I hope this passes soon, I don't need a mother-in-law that I have to take care of. I just want to be with you Jesse, not trapped watching your mother, I'm not supposed to have that responsibility, she should be able to care for herself for eternity."

Jesse nodded in agreement. "As soon as this is dealt with I think we'll be able to be together like we want again, don' forget the song Winnie, tonight is our night and as soon as possible I think we should get married with my family in attendance. I think they'd like seeing us get married."

Winnie giggled, forgetting for a moment the labor of getting Mae to her room. "I like the idea of being married to you twice over; wouldn't it be fun to get married in every country on the planet? I think that should be part of our forever."

"If that's what you want Winnie, I'll do it." Jesse answered fiercely. "I will never let you down. You're mine for eternity and I want it to continue that way."

Mae began to wail even louder. "Tuck!" She cried out, "Tuck! My precious Tuck!"

Jesse looked at his mother in alarm, "Did something happen to Pa?"

Winnie was tempted to smack Jesse. "Don't be stupid Jesse, nothing can happen to him, we all live forever remember? You can't be killed, and you die, but you definitely can't be hurt, so don't worry about it. Let's just get your mom in bed and then we can figure out what's going on okay?"

Jesse looked relieved to be reminded of his family's immortality, "Of course Winnie, I was being silly."


	8. Chapter 7

**7**

Miles appeared in the room suddenly, just as they were getting an almost hysterical Mae into her bed. "Jesse, you're back good. We've got to talk privately. Your Winnie look-alike can stay with Ma."

"I'm not a look-alike I am married. I had to fake my own death for you guys to finally get that I wanted Jesse, and we've happily married for years now."

Miles took a step back in surprise. "You drank?"

"Well yeah, I had to know if I'd imagined all of you or not."

They were stopped from any further discussion, by Mae beginning to yell loudly again. She was screaming Tuck's name so loudly, that it was impossible even to hear another shout.

Miles seemed to growl in what seemed to be frustration and went to the bedside table where he pulled out a syringe and stabbed it almost ruthlessly into Mae's arm, she quieted almost instantly. Miles jerked his head towards the door. "Come on Jesse, we really have to talk. Winnie just stay and watch Ma. We'll be back quick, but it's best if you not hear this for now."

Winnie scowled. She was going to live forever with them now too, why couldn't she join in this discussion?

Jesse turned seeming to realize her frustration. "Don't worry; you'll know what's goin' on soon. Miles likes his privacy, and I can tell ya everything later."

Winnie let a frustrated breath; she supposed that was the best compromise she could expect from the woolheaded brothers. She just couldn't understand why they didn't want her to know what was going on too. Wasn't she part of this family yet? Why could none of Jesse's family accept her but him?

Jesse's face drained of all color once Miles had told him the news from the security of being in the closeted space of his room. "You're sure?"

"Positive. Ma's been in hysterics over it."

"But how can it be possible? That's not how it's supposed to work. What about-? No never mind. This is just so impossible."

"Our lives before this were impossible, why couldn't this impossibility happen as well?"

Jesse ground his teeth unable to answer his brother. He had a good point. "I just don't understand." He muttered, feeling his forever teenage sulleness emerge for the first time in a long time, Winnie had helped him to feel older, even if his body never aged, unless…no he refused to even consider it. "Is there anything we can do?"

"What do you mean? Not unless the spring could do it, but you'd have to go back to it, and there might not be time for that." Miles answered sounding and looking the most upset and desperate Jesse had ever seen him.

"We could go back, Winnie and I, we could get the water and bring it back. I can't just stand by and do nothing."

"You want involve Winnie in this? No, it'll only scare her. You don't want her to have to reconsider her forever with you, do you? You don't want her to shout, about not losing you. It's hard losing a wife Jesse. It'd be better if you left her here."

"I'm not going to abandon her. I would worry, ridiculous as that may seem."

"I suppose that's your business. But I really think you should keep her in the dark."

"It wouldn't be fair Miles. We're married; we're not supposed to keep secrets. Maybe you could have kept your wife, if you had told her."

"That would've just scared her off sooner and you know it."

"Well I don't have that barrier with Winnie and I don't want to create one. I have to tell her what's going on. We've got each other forever, and I have to hold on to that, but I don't want to be making amends to her forever either. I have to tell Winnie."

Miles snarled in rage and disgust, surprisingly emotional about all this. "I don't know if the spring still exists Jesse this could be a pointless errand."

"Don't do this Miles, if you didn't want me to do something, you shouldn't have told me, now if you'll excuse me, I have to tell my wife what's going and then we'll go to the spring. We'll bring the water back. If given the choice I want to do something Miles." Jesse said before tugging on the doorknob and leaving the room.


	9. Chapter 8

**8**

Jesse swallowed nervously as he entered his mother's room again. Suddenly he wasn't so sure that he wanted to explain everything to Winnie right away. Maybe it would be better if he explained things on the way rather than telling her now.

Winnie turned expectantly as he entered the room. "Well?"

"We need to go back to Tree Gap." Jesse explained shakily, still unsure of how much more he wanted to say.

"Why?"

Jesse cleared his throat uncomfortably, "To, ah, help, dad."

"With what?" Winnie asked curiously.

"We just need to bring some water back from the spring. Miles won't tell me exactly what for, except that dad needs it for something."

"Okay, then let's go."

"Really? Just like that? You don't mind?"

Winnie grabbed Jesse's arm and pulled herself close to him, I don't care where we are as long as I'm with you. We have forever and I want to make the most of it."

"Uh, right." Jesse thought a little uncomfortable of the information he was keeping from Winnie. It didn't feel right to keep a secret from her, especially something like this, but he didn't know what else he could do. _I'm doing the right thing right?_

A few hours later they were driving once more. Winnie was curled up against Jesse's side still clinging to his arm. She seemed on the verge of falling asleep which seemed a good thing to Jesse. He wanted to drive for as long as possible before they stopped for the night, and if she was sleeping it wouldn't matter as much how long he drove.

Jesse turned the radio on softly, letting the music fill the strange silence. Jesse felt as if the secret were some great weight between them and the music helped to ease that feeling. _I'll tell you soon Winnie. I promise. _Jesse thought and drove into the night.


	10. Chapter 9

**9**

"Do you want to go to a dance tonight?"

"What?" Winnie asked sitting up straight and turning to her husband with an incredulous look. "I thought you said we were in a hurry."

"I know," Jesse said feeling suddenly sheepish, "But it just seemed like we haven't been entirely, uh, close this trip and I thought a break might be nice, or fun, I guess possibly both. Dad will just have to wait a little longer."

Winnie rolled her eyes. "Alright Jesse, we can dance tonight."

Jesse smiled turning back to the road. _Good maybe tonight I'll have the nerve to tell her._

Jesse looked around the dance floor appraisingly. _This was definitely a good idea._ The energy of the place already seemed to be affecting Winnie making her look much happier than she had for much of the trip. _At least it's only two more days at the most. Hopefully by then I'll have figured out how to tell Winnie._

Jesse grinned as he led Winnie onto the dance floor. A slow song had just come on the perfect slow song. He sang along softly as a sort of pretense of asking Winnie to dance, "Would you dance, If I asked you to dance? Would you run and never look back?"

Winnie put a finger to his lips before he could continue. She had a secret sort of smile on her face, as if she were the one keeping things from him rather than the other way around. "I already told you I would dance tonight, there's no sense in asking again." She teased gently, before pulling him close and letting him lead her in the dance.

They danced for several hours, in a blissful energy of silence on their part, but filled with the noise and music of the world around them, making them of the world but not actually in it surrounded by their feelings and emotions, and connected more irrevocably than anyone around them could have ever dreamed, than anyone around them had ever been.

Jesse kept Winnie close on this most perfect of nights, knowing that when he told her what was going on all this perfection would be shattered in an instant.


	11. Chapter 10

**10**

That night as Winnie lay wonderfully warm in his arms and he was just beginning to doze off, she began to whisper softly, "You were my first time Jesse Tuck. You were my first everything."

"What do you mean?" He asked softly suddenly just as wide awake and she still seemed to be, and aware once again of the secret he was keeping from her.

"You were my first friend, the first boy I'd ever really met, you were my first love." Winnie whispered, her eyes closed, remembering and savoring. "I'm so glad you came back." She finished wrapping her arms tightly about him and nestling against his chest as she finally seemed to fall asleep.

Jesse lay awake for several more hours, wondering how he could ever ruin this sweet perfect they had as he knew his secret would.

The next day Jesse had made a decision, at least of how to break the secret out of the dark corner of his mind to his precious Winnie. He still didn't know how she'd react, but maybe his actions before would save her from running from him.

Jesse woke Winnie gently with a kiss. She blinked seeming a little surprised to be awoken.

"Something important weighing on your mind this morning?" Winnie asked intently watching him.

Jesse fought back a grimace, amazed that she could already know him so well. He supposed every day together even for short a time as theirs taught you things about the other person. Jesse cleared his throat. "Winnie I got something important to ask you today."

Winnie giggled at his tone, "Alright."

Jesse took Winnie's hands, "Will you marry me again this morning Winnie Tuck?"

Winnie's brow scrunched in that adorable way that always made Jesse want to kiss it. "But we only just got married two years ago."

Jesse shrugged, keeping his face turned, he didn't want Winnie to see and suddenly be able to interpret the intentions behind his eyes. He didn't want to give the secret away, but surely if they had just been married (again) she would be accepting of it. It just had to be, otherwise he didn't the secret would ever be properly dragged from him.

"I thought we were rushing to Tree Gap, why the sudden stop to smell the roses?"

Jesse flinched visibly; _Gosh she can be perceptive sometimes._ "I thought the rush was getting a little too rushed," he muttered feebly before finally meeting Winnie's gaze. "Plus, after the wedding I wanted to explain things better, but I want you happy first, so the news doesn't seem so upsettin', cause I know it will be."

Winnie looked confused and more curious than ever, but she only nodded her assent.

Jesse smiled weakly and kissed the back of Winnie's hand. "Thank you lovely, let's get ready and go."

Jesse suspected she prepared for the next wedding as quickly as she did because she was finally going to find out what was wrong, but whatever drove her, worked for him. He wanted to renew and remind before he spilled the rather horrifying news.


	12. Chapter 11

**11**

"Jesse this was ever such a romantic idea." Winnie cuddled against Jesse for a moment. "A second wedding. It's perfect."

"It's elopement."

"What we didn't elope the first time?" Winnie rolled her eyes.

"Most people picture marriage with their family."

"Do you wish your family was here?"

Jesse shook his head emphatically trying to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach at the terrible secret he was hiding from Winnie. "All I want at my wedding is you."

"Kind of hard for us to get married without that little detail."

"It would be indeed."

"Let's get on with it though. This wedding is a wonderful idea, but it's time you told me what you've been hiding from me."

He planted a quick kiss on her lips. "After."


	13. Chapter 12

*Here we are the moment, you've all be waiting for the big reveal, I'm sorry if this idea upsets the lovers of the original concept of the story, but I thought it fit well with the idea of only knowing you are going to live forever if you don't die, and besides the whole point of fanfiction is playing of details the author doesn't necessarily fully express so here we are.*

**12**

"Alright Jesse, what's going on?"

They had hardly even finished the ceremony, the preacher had just left the room and already she was asking questions.

Jesse grimaced.

Winnie glared. "Jesse Tuck what aren't you telling me?"

Not knowing how to broach the subject even with so much time to think about it, Jesse hesitantly took Winnie's hand. "Winnie," he started.

She raised an eyebrow looking impatient.

"It's the spring."

Winnie cocked her head.

"We don't really live forever from it. It just extends us. Miles stopped visiting it and drinking from it a few years back. He's started to age Winnie. Of course being Miles he's actually okay with it. He wants to be back with his girl and that family he lost so long ago. And Tuck…well, he hasn't been to the spring in too long. He's starting to die Winnie. That's why we gotta go back to the spring."

"Don't you die on me Jesse Tuck." Winnie commanded. She was pale as a sheet of linen.

"I wasn't gonna Winnie. I've still been drinking from the stream. You know that." He'd never seen Winnie look so scared.

"After all that time waiting for you, after suffering and not aging for years never knowing if you were coming back, you can't die on me now." She seemed to be in shock unable to get past the concept of Tuck dying.

Jesse grabbed Winnie by the shoulders. "I'm not going to die Winnie. I've been drinking from the spring. You know I wouldn't leave you like that, not after I've found ya again."

Winnie began to cry.

Jesse pulled Winnie tightly into his embrace, "Winnie Foster Tuck, I ain't ever gonna let you go."


	14. Chapter 13

**13**

The next morning went slowly. The hotel room seemed eerily quiet as they gathered their few belongings that needed to be packed back into Jesse's truck. Occasionally Jesse would open his mouth to say something, but he didn't know if there were any words left to help Winnie, not when she was so upset as all this.

He'd never seen Winnie quite this introverted.

They got in the truck and drove away from the hotel, with each mile drawing closer to the spring. The life-saving spring, although he didn't know if that reminder was going to be useful to Winnie or just cause her more pain.

Winnie remained quiet and still looked rather shell-shocked by the words he'd delivered to her yesterday. Jesse was worried by her silence.

As they drove, she just stared and stared, her eyes unwavering on the road.

He wished there was something he could do, but it seemed there wasn't any way to fix the pain of the words he had said.

"Winnie?" He started hesitantly, even if nothing he said could actually help, it was pointless not to try.

She didn't respond.

Hesitant and not knowing what to do, Jesse pulled the truck off to the side of the road. Once it was stopped he scooted over and put an arm around Winnie. "Hey babe, you wanna talk about it?"

Winnie turned to look at him, her gaze seemed strangely vacant. Haltingly, she began to speak. "I'm not going to lose you Jesse Tuck."

Jesse stared. Why was she so stuck on that? He'd told her, countless times now, he wasn't going to die; he wasn't going to leave her. Why couldn't she process it?

Perhaps asking an essentially teenaged girl to live for eternity at that age, hadn't been the best idea. But as an essentially teenaged boy he hadn't even paused to consider those consequences.


	15. Chapter 14

**14**

Jesse flicked his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. Winnie was so silent. What could he do to make this better?

"I want to believe, when you tell me that it'll be okay." Her voice was quiet but seemed abrupt coming from the previous silence. "I don't know how. I'm scared that I'll just lose you know."

"Winnie," Jesse tried to keep the frustration from his voice, "Even if I was late getting a drink, all that would happen is I would start aging again. It's just Tuck was old enough when he drank that without the spring he's dying. If it were me I would still have plenty of time to get another drink."

"How do you know that?" Winnie searched through him for the answer with her eyes.

"That's what happened to Miles."

"He had fallen in love again, he hadn't been drinking from it for a while anyways, but he realized he was aging with her." Jesse suppressed a sigh, making a little _huff_ sound. "My brother, he has the worst luck. He got in a car accident. They were rushed to the hospital in critical condition, which shouldn't have been possible. Miles at least should have walked away without a scratch, but he was in as bad a state as she was. The only thing we could figure was the lack of spring water doing it to him."

"Was she alright?" Winnie asked the question Jesse had been avoiding the answer to.

"No, she went into a coma."

"Oh," Tears were clouding Winnie's eyes for a woman she hadn't even known.

Jesse couldn't bear to add that she'd never woken up from the coma, that after years of waiting the life just faded from her body. Why was it that everything he said seemed filled with pain these days? He wanted to stop hurting Winnie. He wanted the world to stop hurting.

For now all he could do was get to the spring and stop his father's death.


	16. Chapter 15

*Special thanks to Himeflye who helped with brainstorming that got this chapter started. It's a long one too, all from a little brainstorming; I should try it more often ;) Hopefully the story can begin moving towards its conclusion now.*

**15**

The truck sputtered to stop; luckily its last vestiges of gas had disappeared right next to the gas pump. He'd been hoping they'd reach the spring by now, but unfortunately the gas tank had not permitted it.

"Want to go in with me?" Jesse asked, pulling the key out of the ignition and looking to his wife. "I'm going to get some snacks while the tank is filling up."

Winnie shook her head and stared out the passenger side window. She'd been a little more talkative as the ride continued but she still wasn't quite back to herself.

"Want me to bring you anything specific?" Jesse prodded, trying to at least warrant a word from her.

"Not really." Winnie answered softly.

Jesse smiled. _At least she answered with words this time._ Hesitating for a moment Jesse opened the door slowly. The stench of gasoline assaulted his nose. That very smell was probably why the tank had run so low, he hated the smell of gasoline, he always had, and as such he refilled the tank as rarely as he could, back before this mess, Winnie had often just gone for him knowing how much he disliked the smell.

"Winnie Tuck, I'll be back in just a minute then, ok?"

She actually turned to face him a tiny smile etched upon her features. "I'll be fine; you don't live this long without learning how to handle yourself."

Jesse's grinned widened and he slipped completely out of the truck.

Stepping inside the convenience store attached to the gas pumps was much more pleasant experience on his nostrils than the gas pumps. He had never been quite sure what exactly the scent of the inside of such buildings was but he'd always found its tang rather appealing.

He meandered along the shelves looking for their favorite snacks. The Ho-ho's he snatched off the shelf without a second thought, Winnie always liked those, as to other snacks he wasn't quite sure what to get.

Jesse debated for a moment between a hot dog or a wrapped pigs in a blanket type thing before just grabbing both, Winnie was probably hungry for something a little more substantial than Ho-ho's if he was.

Ringing up the various items a thought occurred to Jesse. "Do you have a phone I could use?" He asked the rather surly looking guy at the register.

"There's a pay phone out front." The guy drawled disinterestedly.

"Ah, thanks."

"Yup." Was the guy's only response. He shoved at the items on the counter. "Here's your stuff." These words were delivered in a tone more akin to _Get your stuff and leave._

Jesse tried to smile politely as he gathered the snacks, grimacing a bit at the treatment once his back was turned and stepped back out onto the tarmac and gasoline stench filled air.

He dropped the snacks on the front seat. "Have whatever you want. I'm gonna make a quick phone call, then we'll be off."

Winnie nodded slightly in response but Jesse didn't wait to see it, hurried as he was to make his phone call.

Impatience nearly spilled over when he saw that someone was already using the phone, a female someone, with longish just past the shoulders, curling in loose limp curls, brown hair, in a rather skimpy yellow sundress. The dress only reached about half down her thighs leaving most of her long legs visible, right down to her strappy sandalled feet.

Jesse growled under his breath. He just wanted to make a phone call!

He was close enough, standing as he was to take a call next, that he could smell her obnoxious perfume. He was glad that Winnie didn't much care for the stuff and that when she did wear it; it wasn't in such vast and heady quantities that seemed ready to give you a headache the instant you breathed it in.

He could only hear the soft murmur of her words as she spoke into the phone, but he really wished that she'd get on with it. What could she possibly have to murmur about for so long? Only a few moments had passed, but he could feel true urgentness creeping into him to make the phone call.

"I'm on my way." The girl grumbled in a much louder tone than the rest. There was a pause, naturally as she listened to the person on the other line. "I'm not shirking anything, and I haven't been either. This is well within the time I'm allowed to get there. Now shut up. I said I'm on my way!" With that last almost scream, for her voice had been rising in pitch, she slammed the receiver and stalked away.

Jesse spared a grin. Quickly he set up about making his own phone call.

"Hello?" Miles' gruff voice picked up the other line.

"How is he?" Jesse asked, his whole frame relaxed as he was finally able to ask the question.

"Where are you?" Miles shouted. "You should have been back by now, better yet a week ago!"

Jesse stared at blanking at the phone's keypad before him for a moment. Miles never yelled. Mae sometimes, like when she got overly upset at Winnie's choice, but Miles had always been quiet, irredeemably so, now that soft persona seemed to have broken. Finally Jesse found words with which to speak. "It's not taking any longer than expected Miles."

"I THOUGHT you guys were trying to hurry!" Miles ranted.

"Calm down, I just wanted to check on Tuck s'all. We'll be on our way again as soon as I get off the phone. We're almost to the spring already. We'll be back soon."

"Good," Miles practically snarled. Jesse heard a click. The line was disconnected.

Despite what he had said Jesse stood frozen for a moment. He was stunned Miles had acted that way. He hadn't even answered Jesse's question.

He turned.

Stopped.

_Maybe Miles' anger was my answer. If he's that upset, Tuck can't be in that good a' shape._

It felt even more imperative that they get to the spring.


	17. Chapter 16

**16**

Familiar chords strummed out of the radio, followed by: "The best thing 'bout tonight's that we're not fighting could it be that we have been this way before?"

Winnie reached over and flipped a switch. The music stopped.

Jesse didn't react for a moment, before hesitantly saying, "I thought you liked that song."

"Not right now."

Jesse swallowed nervously. Did that mean she was mad at him? That she thought they were in some sort of fight? "Winnie –"

"Stop." Her hand had come up at some point. "I know that tone. Just be quiet. We're almost to the spring anyways. Focus on that."

Her tone was like ice poured down his shirt. _Yikes._

The silence was very audible as the car trundled the last few miles to the seemingly ever-shrinking forest around the spring. Jesse parked outside the trees. They always walked to the spring. Always.

"Are you coming with me?"

Surprising him, considering her mood, Winnie nodded curtly and climbed out the car before he could even think to get out and politely open her door for her. He joined her. She held her arm out stiffly. Hesitantly he took her hand. Her grip squeezed him tightly.

She set the pace at a sort of march and they went into the forest.

(*)

Winnie tried not to think too much of her surroundings, even after so many years the forest held much familiarity for her, she knew if she dwelled on it too much, she would get nostalgic and forget her purpose.

Jesse had to drink from the stream again. She was not going to have him die on her. Once he was full of spring water, then she would chew him out for keeping such a secret from her. How dare he? She deserved to know the full extent of the spring's powers if anyone did.

After that was finished then, then, they could help Tuck. Winnie wanted her future, with Jesse, ensured first.


	18. Chapter 17

**17**

The patch of forest of was quiet and shady. Soft bird song twittered through the patches of sunlight breaking the canopy of trees. Twigs crackled lightly under their feet. Winnie's forceful grip, dragging Jesse forward relaxed slightly to be in such a peaceful environment. A sense of tranquility overtook her, all the worry began to ebb out of her.

She began to smile.

_Winnie's back._

Their walk to the spring, it hardly felt like more than a few steps, due to both the peace surrounding the scene and the development that had been occurring in the area, slowly stealing bits of the forest away as man became more and more greedy for land to build upon.

Jesse felt an abrupt chill, _What will happen to us when the spring is gone?_ Shuddering still he pushed the thought aside, for now all that mattered was the spring. It hadn't been destroyed yet, they could deal with after, if and once it was gone.

A few more steps and the tears opened up before them into the small clearing that held the spring. Sunlight filtered between the leaves, glittering off the surface of the water.

"It hasn't changed since that first time I saw you sitting by it." Winnie whispered happily. All the tension she'd been carrying around and vanished from her.

Jesse wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Did you really think it would? It's what keeps us unchanging after all."

Winnie grinned up at him. "I suppose you're right." She leaned up and kissed him.

Jesse grinned back widely. He unlatched his arm from around her and knelt by the spring. He ran a hand for a moment through the clear, cool water. It felt renewing simply to touch it.

Winnie crouched beside him. Her expression no longer seemed so innocent. Her hand dipped briefly in the water and rose quickly splashing him in the face.

"Hey!" His voice was caught halfway between a shout and a laugh. His own hand returned to the water and mimicked her gesture.

Winnie shrieked and leapt to her feet. "That's not fair!"

"What do you mean?" Jesse returned leaping to his feet and wrapping his arms around her before she could run off.

She giggled and refused to answer, but began to squirm in his arms trying to break free. Naturally Jesse just held on tighter. His fingers flew and he began tickling her. She began to contort her body in an attempt to evade his tickles.

They were both near bursting into fits of laughter the period of solitude in the forest was broken.


	19. Chapter 18

**18**

They walked into the small clearing containing the spring. Winnie swallowed her laughter and stared at Jesse in surprise, there were other people at the spring. A young woman and a boy not much younger than her, the girl in a bright yellow sundress and the boy in similarly bright attire, and both brunettes, their faces were similar enough that Winnie supposed they were related probably brother and sister. It was possible the two had stumbled on the spring, but there was a tension in the air, that caused Winnie to suspect this was entirely not the case. It was silence, but it was silence of a sort that created a thickness in the air, as if someone had only just ceased shouting and was about to begin again.

Jesse stared back at Winnie, all the color from his laughter gone from his face in an instant.

The girl whipped around abruptly apparently having heard their approach. Her jaw dropped and a fierce look entered her eyes. "See Roland!" She snapped gesturing at them. "This is precisely what we're trying to prevent!"

Roland glowered at her. "Do you really want to argue about this in front of a couple of strangers, that's not doing any better guarding it than you claim I was."

Winnie and Jesse exchanged a glance, what were they guarding?

"Roland you're acting like an idiot, but you're right for once." The girl glared at Roland for a moment more, before turning her ferocious gaze on Winnie and Jesse. "We need to deal with these two first."

"Deal with us?" Winnie snapped. "Who are you to 'deal' with us?"

Jesse put a warning hand on Winnie's shoulder. She glanced at him briefly, her look stating as clearly as words, "You're not going to stop me!"

The girl's furious scowl at Winnie was almost exactly the same as the one Roland was directing at her. "I'm Rex and this lout is my brother Roland, though why I should be telling it to the likes of you, invading our property, is beyond me."

"_Your _property? You claim to possess the forest?" Winnie was both disgruntled and annoyed.

Rex snorted, "It's been in my family for a very long time now, but enough of this you should be explaining yourselves to me. Seeing as this is private property." She arched an eyebrow expectantly.

Winnie glowered, clearly not interested in backing down even enough to give their names.

Jesse stepped in. "I'm Jesse and this is my wife Winnie."

If anything Rex's eyebrow arched higher. "Wife? You expect me to believe you two teenagers are married?"

"Like it matters anyways." Winnie snapped. "You wanted our names now you have them." Jesse was almost surprised that Winnie didn't punctuate the statement by sticking out her tongue; she'd said it in precisely that sort of tone.


	20. Chapter 19

***Author's note: I extended the ending of the last chapter, so if this isn't making much sense that is why and you should go back and read the extended ending first.***

**19**

Rex huffed in annoyance. "What are you doing here?" Apparently she deemed it more important to find out what was going on rather than to continue arguing about their marital status.

"What a young married couple can't go for a walk together in the woods?" Unfortunately Winnie didn't seem to be quite so ready to do so.

Jesse wanted to facepalm. However if the fighting got worse than this claws were likely to come out and he'd want to be ready to step in and pull Winnie away. Roland looked as if he were getting ready to do the same with Rex.

"I find it doubtful that you're here for a casual stroll, especially on private property, even more doubtful that the two of you are married."

"If this property is so private maybe you try showing that, with a fence or a nice sign, instead of having to hang out in the middle of the forest, guarding it like idiots." Winnie snapped back.

Rex's expression became fierce, everything becoming tight and narrow as it clenched in anger. Her body tensed and her hands squeezed into fists. "Say that again," Her voice was a threatening growl.

Winnie's gaze locked with hers. "You don't want me walking here, get a fence."

Rex let out a screech, Winnie's body stiffened to meet the inevitable pounce. Jesse latched onto her and pulled her back. Roland wrapped his arms around his sister and did the same. "Winnie this won't solve anything," he spoke softly, directly to her ear. "How are we going to get water from the spring to take back to Tuck if you get into a catfight?"

The tension slipped almost immediately from Winnie. Jesse noticed the color had mostly drained from her face. "I forgot." She murmured horrified. "I forgot about Tuck. I forgot that you could die."


	21. Chapter 20

**20**

As Winnie's body grew lax in Jesse's arms, Rex continued to struggle, succeeding only in managing to knock her and her brother to the ground and she tried to claw out of his grip. Once the ground she began kicking up clouds of dust.

"Stop it, Rex!" Roland snarled, still somehow clinging on. "This isn't helping things any."

"She – insulted the way our family runs things!" Rex retorted, continuing her relentless struggle.

Winnie turned in Jesse's arms and stared at him urgently. "Now," She mouthed.

Jesse cocked his head confused.

"The spring," Winnie hissed, "It's our chance to get water from it. You're not going to die on me Jesse Tuck."

"Ah," The dawn of understanding hit Jesse. He slipped out of the grasp he had on Winnie and tried to creep over to the spring.

Somehow despite clawing at her brother, Rex noticed. "What do you think you're doing?" She sounded terrified.

"I was thirsty." Jesse invented.

"Don't drink that water." Rex had completely stopped struggling; her face was pale with fright.

"Why not? Is it poisonous?" Jesse asked carefully.

She shook her head mutely.

Roland cut in. "Just don't drink it. You're already trespassing. Don't add insult to injury."

Winnie snorted. "Why would a little sip of water, when we're already 'trespassing' qualify? Seems to me the damage has already been done." She nodded at Jesse. "Ignore them. Get that drink."

"You can't!" Rex wailed.

Winnie placed her hands on her hips, a fierce, unmoving expression fixed on her face. "Give him a reason."

Rex's eyes began to water as she pleaded, making her seem on the verge of tears. "You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain. Just know that you can't drink from that spring. That's why Roland and I guard it."

_Does this mean she knows about living forever?_ Winnie thought perplexed.


	22. Chapter 21

**21**

"People say that sort of thing all the time," Jesse answered with a roll of his eyes. "It seems to me that if it's real, then it is believable, even if it is incredible."

Winnie broke from her shock to stare at her husband. She could hardly understand what Jesse was talking about. Was he trying to bluff them into not realizing that he and Winnie actually knew what drinking from the spring entailed? Or was he just making up nonsense now?

Rex's gaze was hard, almost enough force to knock them away from the spring on its own. "Why can't you two idiots just drop it? Go away and leave us to guarding the spring. It's none of your business, just go away and don't drink from it." Her attempt to emphasize the statement by crossing her arms across her chest, and scowling, combined with her already over the top anger was almost comical.

Roland stared at his sister, having apparently never seen her quite so worked up before. His face in general seemed much more mellow than his sister's and now it looked genuinely perplexed. "Why are you being so harsh to them? The only other time this happened, you told straight off and let them huff away like you were a crazy person."

Rex directed her scowl in her brother's direction now. "Don't remind me of that."

Roland muttered something apologetically that Winnie couldn't catch.

Rex began to talk over him in a lecturing tone, her words were quite audible, which wasn't surprising considering what they'd seen of her personality thus far.

Winnie nudged Jesse, "Hurry, while they're distracted arguing about this nonsense."

"Excellent idea," Jesse responded and sidled closer to the water.

Rex was apparently observant enough to notice this even while lecturing her brother, mid-sentence she broke off and actually ran, launching herself at Jesse.

**Author's Note: Hoorah, finally a new chapter out. Definitely a stubborn chapter. Stupid thing didn't want to be written, but now it finally is, whatever that's worth since it feels like a mostly filler chapter to me. Sorry about that. Hope you all enjoy anyways, if there even is anyone after this taking so long to get anywhere most the time.**


	23. Chapter 22

**22**

Roland let out a dumbfounded, wordless, exclamation.

Winnie froze in shock for an instant before trying to divert Rex's leap.

It was too late. Rex knocked Jesse over and straddling him tugged viciously at his hair. Jesse moaned in pain.

"Get off my husband!" Winnie shrieked. She climbed onto the other girl trying to pull her off Jesse, her hands grasping for purchase at Rex's head.

Jesse's hand splashed in the nearby spring, as he struggled between the wrestling girls, both girls' faces were soaked with the splash, startling them but only very briefly. Soon they were pulling and pushing, kicking and elbowing even more violently than before.

"Stop it!" Roland cried. The scream was rather lackluster as he sound like a 5 year old throwing a fit. He joined the insane dogpile and began furiously beating on Winnie's back as it was the easiest thing for him to reach.

Winnie cried out more from shock than actual pain.

Amidst the groans and shrieks of their melee a shotgun was fired, startling all of them into motionless silence.

Roland and Winnie toppled as Rex miraculously extricated herself from the pile, Jesse 'oof'ed as they landed on him. Rex stood staring in the direction of the shot. "Grandpa."

Roland climbed off the couple, his face actually rather apologetic; he also turned in the direction of the shot.

Winnie and Jesse struggled to their feet, turning to face the person who had disturbed the quarrel.

There was a rather old man standing at the edge of the clearing. A shotgun at his side. He was dressed in red plaid and loose blue jeans. Apart from the gun nothing about him was particularly intimidating, but both Winnie and Jesse still shivered at the sight of him.


	24. Chapter 23

**23**

"What's going on?" The old man asked in a gruff voice that matched his mountaineer-like appearance.

"They're trying to take water from the spring." Rex announced in a pouty voice, which wasn't helped by her now disheveled appearance; she pointed a finger at Winnie and Jesse as the man couldn't know who she was talking about otherwise.

The man glared, began to grind his teeth, looking as if he were working himself into some sort of angry fit.

Jesse was not in the mood to get yelled at any more than they already had. Before the man could burst out into some sort of shouting lecture, Jesse interjected. "We already know what the spring does when you drink from it."

Winnie gasped and stared at him.

Jesse shrugged at her. "Obviously they know too, or why would they be guarding it so fiercely. If I tell them we know, hopefully we can skip some unnecessary yelling."

Rex had been gaping at him like a fish, but once he had finished speaking she regained her composure. "Well if you know what the spring does, you'll understand why we can't let you have any water." She sounded brisk and businesslike, quite unlike the whiny protest she'd thrown at her grandfather.

"You can't keep it from us!" Winnie declared annoyed. "We already know what it does, you don't need to guard us from it. We've already met with its effects. It's fine for us to drink from it."

"Do you really want to live forever?" Rex whispered. "It's brought our family nothing but grief. That's why we can't let you drink. Forever is not worth the water."

"Shouldn't that be our decision?" Winnie asked coldly.

"We're here to guard the spring." The old man spoke in a tone of finality. "That's what we'll do. If you want to live forever, find some other way."

"Jesse I think you may have actually made it worse." Winnie whispered with a scowl.

Jesse reached out and squeezed Winnie's hand briefly, "Don't worry, we'll work this out. Neither Tuck or I is going to die. Just you trust me Winnie Tuck."

As usual his voice pronouncing her name was enough to instill confidence in her, even if she didn't know how things were going to work out. There was power in him using her name. She trusted it.


	25. Chapter 24

**24**

"What gives you the right to decide if I can drink from spring? I know what it'll do to me; why is it any of your business if I choose to drink from it already knowing the effect it'll have?" Jesse asked his tone fierce and demanding, this was a side of him that Winnie had not glimpsed before. She'd never seen him so in control.

The old man glowered at Jesse and raised his rifle as if he were considering shooting them with it. "Get out. This is private property." He growled. "That's my right. Get off my land."

Winnie and Jesse exchanged a glance. What could they do if he was going to kick them off?

Rex and Roland were also exchanging a rather surreptitious glance. "Grandpa let me take them to the edge of the property. Roland will stay here to make sure no one else messes with the spring. You can go back to the house. We'll be fine."

The old man's beady eyes rested on each of his grandchildren for a moment, as if he were suspicious of their intentions, before he gave a loud harrumph sound, turned and stumpily marched away into the forest. "See that you do!" His grizzled voice reverberated through the trees back at them.

Rex smiled apologetically at them. "Sorry about that, grandpa can be a bit severe."

Winnie raised a slightly skeptical eyebrow, this coming from the girl who had tackled Jesse to stop him from drinking from the spring? Shooting a shotgun into the air and growling at them, seemed fairly tame by comparison. "Does this mean you'll let us drink from the spring?" Winnie asked cautiously.

Rex laughed. "My argument still stands. My grandpa's order still stands. I just thought you didn't need him menacing you to get the point across."

Winnie smiled tightly. _Figures. This family is quite the unrelenting bunch._

"Now, let's get you guys off my property." Rex suggested.

Winnie and Jesse sighed in unison but acquiesced to her request and began to make their way back through the forest the way they had come. Rex remained a few steps behind them, her steps crunching softly over the fallen leaves.

There was a soft chitter of birds overhead as they made their otherwise silent trek back through the forest.

Winnie and Jesse exchanged glances, trying to communicate silently about what their next move would be. Jesse could tell from the tightness of Winnie's grip that she was terrified that they weren't going to find a way to get water from the spring. Which simply made Jesse more determined. He was not going to upset her further with this. He was going to find a way for them to drink from the spring again.

Rex stopped tailing them once they had reached Jesse's truck. "Please don't come back." She said in an informative tone. "There's no need to raise this sort of fuss again, is there?"

Winnie glared at the girl. She hated that their choice of choosing to drink had been stolen from them, they already knew the effects of the spring, it should have been their right to choose if they drank from it again. "I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, but considering the circumstances, I don't think that's quite appropriate."

Rex grinned tightly, spun on her heel and marched back into the trees.

Jesse saw Winnie's glare and felt more resolved than ever to get them another drink from the spring. Even if they only managed something for her and him, even if Tuck ended up dying, he would find a way to drink from the spring, so he and would Winnie would never have to be separated.


	26. Chapter 25

**25**

They sat in the truck, not making any move to start it and leave for good.

"What should we do?" Winnie asked softly.

Jesse thought for a moment. "We could try to sneak back now, go the long way around to the spring and hope they don't see us getting water from the spring, or," he hesitated for a moment, before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Or, we can find a hotel, check in for the night. And sneak back here when it's dark. Their security is likely to be much more lax at night."

"I really want to go back right." Winnie whispered. "But I guess, it would probably be more sensible to go at night." She visibly trembled for a moment before regaining control of herself. "I just don't want you to die."

Jesse leaned close and stroked Winnie's cheek. "I promise you I won't die. I'm not close at all. Tuck's in danger of it, because of the age he was when he drank, but I'm seventeen, even if I start aging a little bit, it won't make a dent in health. I'll be fine. I promise."

Winnie smiled weakly. She took a deep breath. "I trust you. Let's wait until tonight."

Jesse grabbed Winnie's hand and squeezed tightly. "This'll work. I promise. Winnie Tuck, I promise you that we'll get water from that spring."

"I know." She whispered hearing the determination in his voice.

* * *

They crept to the truck, a little past midnight. They were still at the hotel they had found, so they didn't really need to be creeping, but both of them felt better doing it than if they had simply walked to the truck.

The climbed into the truck quietly, shutting the doors as softly as they could manage while still ensuring they would be closed tightly. Once they were secluded in the dark quiet of the truck, Winnie began to giggle.

"Are you alright?" Jesse asked his voice halfway between a normal volume and a whisper, his concern somewhat overtaking his unnecessary caution.

Winnie nodded her bobbing head barely visible in the darkness. "We should play around like we're spies more often," Her voice was a bit breathless once she managed to speak past her laughter. "I like acting all covert like this, it's so much fun."

"Sure, we could do something like this again." Jesse was a bit baffled at her excitement by it, but if she wanted to play around like this another time he could humor her. "But for now we should focus on what we're trying to do tonight."

Winnie continued to giggle, but nods in the affirmative. "Right."

Jesse turns the key in the ignition and puts the truck in gear. "Alright, let's go."


	27. Chapter 26

**26**

"Stop here," Winnie was whispering again even though they were still within the confines of the truck.

Jesse obediently pulled to the side of the road. "Are you ready for this?"

Winnie's nod is almost frantic. Her whole body has tensed up and is ready for sneaking and stealth.

Jesse returns her nod in a more solid manner, and quietly opens the door of the truck. Winnie follows suit from her side of the truck. They press the doors nearly shut, not daring to push them entirely shut, for even that light click could sound out a warning so late at night when nothing else seems to be stirring.

As the truck was parked with forest on Jesse's side he waits while Winnie creeps around the truck to him, doing her best not to disturb any crunchy leave with her movements.

Once she's reached him, Jesse grabs her hand and leads the way into the forest.

Jesse leans in close to whisper in Winnie's ear, his voice hardly audible, even with his lips tickling the skin of her ear. "We're almost to the spring."

Winnie nods, assuming with his face so close he'll feel the gesture, even if he can't see it in the dark.

"When we get there, I want you to stay back, I'll hurry and take a drink and slip water into the bottle."

"Shouldn't I drink some too?" Winnie asks as quietly as she could. "I might have more time before I need to drink than you, but wouldn't it be safer for me to drink too?"

Jesse considers this. "Alright you come too. But stay close and quiet."

Winnie is almost offended by this admonition, but she knows that he means well and is just trying to make sure that they don't get caught and can get the water from the spring that they need.

They creep a few more feet through the woods.

"Is that a light up ahead?" Winnie hisses nervously. If the spring is kept lit at night she doubts they will have much chance of getting water from it.

Jesse curses quietly.

"Should we keep going?"

"We can't stop now." Jesse argued. "We're too close. I'm going to attempt this another time. The night is still going to give us our best chance at getting the water."

"Let's do this then." Winnie responds with all the determination she can muster.

The creep closer keeping as much to the shadows as the can, which naturally becomes harder and harder as they draw closer to the light up ahead.

"What do we do?" Winnie asks frantically once they are about as close as they dare to be. Illuminated just of ahead is the spring. It glistens faintly from the lights shining around it.

"You're not going to be doing anything." A familiar snarky female voice states from behind them.

The couple whips around to see Rex standing over them triumphant, her eyes glowing from the light shining around them.


	28. Chapter 27

**27**

"You two are coming with me." Rex announces firmly.

They have no choice but to march in the direction she indicates.

Jesse would have made a run for the spring anyways, if only so Winnie could be sure he would still be safe from aging, but they were traveling in a direction at an angle to the spring and he feared he'd be tackled before he had a chance to reach the spring.

As they are marched away his eyes continually dart back to the spring and he wishes he dared make the attempt at this anyways.

Winnie notices his hopeless glances, she nods, as if she understands his intent and leaps at Rex.

Jesse stares in surprise for a moment before realizing what Winnie has done for him and racing towards the stream.

"Roland!" Rex shrieks indignantly. "Ro-land!"

Jesse can hear what sounds almost like Winnie's laughter as he races towards the spring. He tries to focus all of his awareness, only on the pounding of his feet and his grip on the bottle in his hand. He just needs to make it to the spring...

"Rex?" Roland's voice calls out in confused response.

Jesse curses under his breath and tries to run faster. As long as he gets to the spring before Roland, he will be able to do what he needs to. If Roland gets there first, everything will be lost.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short. Climatic bits usually give me trouble. It also doesn't help that I have school and other writing begging for my attention (both fanfics and original work) to the point that it's amazing I've even got this much written. Thanks for being patient with this story. :)**


	29. Chapter 28

**28**

Winnie struggles on top of Rex, desperately fighting to keep the other girl beneath her. Hopefully Jesse will be able to get to the spring while she causes this distraction.

Rex begins to scream her brother's name, and Winnie elbows her hard, unable to change her grip in such a way as to simply cover the other girl's mouth. Winnie grunts from the strain of clinging to the struggling girl, whom simply continues to shriek her brother's name.

"Oh will you just shut up already?" Winnie snaps in annoyance.

"Roland!" Rex shrieked even more loudly, probably just to provoke Winnie.

"Rex?" Roland's voice echoes hesitantly through the woods.

"Get over here Roland!" Rex's voice comes out somewhere between a grunt and a snap.

Frustrated by the other girl's continued shouting, Winnie ground her elbow into Rex's back. "Just, Shut! UP!" She snarled, as she ground her elbow downwards.

Rex's voice continues to screech into Winnie's ears, but this time it is purely formed from pain, there are no words behind it.

Winnie grins grimly, and doesn't let up in driving her elbow downwards. As long as the action is effective she may as well use it.

Rex shrieks morph into sobs and Winnie finally begins to relieve the pressure on the other girl's back. She's pretty sure Rex won't be able to go anywhere for awhile, not if she's wailing like that from the pain. Winne does however, stay straddled over the Rex. She doesn't want to take the chance that Rex is really just faking and waiting for the moment she can stand up and strike back at Winnie.

After a short time Winnie realizes there are words to Rex's sobs, mostly the word, "Please" repeated over and over again. Winnie felt a bit of pity listening to it. She hadn't meant to the other girl quite so thoroughly.

Just as Winnie is considering climbing off of Rex after all, there is a rustle of brush and Roland stumbles into the clearing. He stares down at his sister in dismay. After a moment he turns his horrified expression to Winnie. "What did you do to her?" His voice is choked and terrified.

Briefly Winnie wonders how she is going to explain her way out of this mess. _At least Jesse should have made it to the spring by now. I'm pretty sure I've bought him enough time for that._ She thinks hopefully.


	30. Chapter 29

**29**

Jesse's feet felt suddenly light as the spring came fully into few, the last of the surrounding trees no long obscuring his vision of it. Hope swelled up in him that they were actually going to be able to get water from the spring to his father.

"Stop right where you are boy, or I'll shoot." A stern, gruff and unfortunately rather familiar voice commanded.

Jesse stopped in his tracks, and turned slowly to see Rex and Roland's grandpa leveling a shotgun at him. Jesse was rather amazed to be able to make him out so well in the darkness but the moonlight had been rather bright tonight. "Uh, can we talk about this?" Jesse asked hesitantly, his hands rising into the air, almost without him realizing.

The old man snorted, "There's nothing to be done, you're trespassing on my property, trying to still water that rightfully belongs to me. If I wanted, I could press charges, since I'm in a forgiving mood, I'll lock you up in my house for a few days, with nothing but water to drink. We'll see how you and your pretty little girl like that."

Jesse shivered, sensing the truthfulness behind the threat.

Anger clouds the man's face as he marches toward Jesse and grabs him roughly at the elbow. "Let's go boy." He growls. Violently he yanks on Jesse's arm and drags him forcibly away from the spring.

Jesse wishes he dared struggle, but he doesn't think he could break from the old man's surprisingly strong grip, and besides there was still the threat of that gun to worry about as well.

They would just have to find some other way to get the water from the spring. Maybe Winnie had fought her way free of Rex and would be able to get the water instead of him. That was a possibility right?


End file.
